EDUCATION - Participation, happiness and achievement 01/02/07 [NI]
Written by Dirk Schubotz, David Simpson and Alex Tennant
In collaboration with Ark Social and Political Archive at Queens University Belfast, Save the Children has produced this short research summary: Participation, happiness and achievement: the impact of poverty on the school experiences of 16-year olds, based on a Young Life & Times Survey we helped carry out last August.
The annual Northern Ireland Young Life and Times Survey gives young people the chance to tell us about their experiences of school, and their views on a range of social issues. Each year all young people whose 16th birthday occurs in February and who are on the Child Benefit Register are invited to participate. Around 40% of eligible young people took part in 2006.
Main recommendations arising from this survey focus on the issues of finance and participation. Despite the success of schools in meeting many of the social and education needs of the majority of children, it remains a concern that a sizeable minority appeared underserved and disappointed in their school experience. The fact that the highest proportion of this minority is drawn from children who perceive their families as not well-off suggests the possibility that the financial cost of schooling is an additional stress or stigmatising factor for some children. The evidence also suggests strongly that participatory mechanisms in most schools need to be strengthened.
Hard copies of the research summary are available from:
Charlene Craig
Information Co-ordinator
